MUSE/IQUE, known for its counter-conventional performances that feel more like parties than formal concerts, continues "Summer of Sound" 2013 with "Moving Pictures" featuring groundbreaking cellist Matt Haimovitz and Emmy Award-winning actress Wendie Malick ("Hot in Cleveland") in a fresh take on motion picture scores by Elmer Bernstein, Jerry Goldsmith, Vangelis, Ennio Morricone, John Williams, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Erich Korngold as well as the world premiere of Sleepwalking, a concerto for cello and chamber orchestra with images by Peter Golub, prolific composer and director of Sundance's Film Music Program, tonight, July 27, 2013, 7:30 pm, outdoors at Caltech's Beckman Mall in Pasadena.
They join MUSE/IQUE Artistic Director Rachael Worby, who conducts the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra, for a pure out-of the-box adventure in sound and cinema. Highlights include Malick narrating a humorous new presentation of Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, reimagined by writer Matt Nix, creator of the critically acclaimed television show "Burn Notice," as well as guest appearances by "American Idol" eighth season finalist
Allison Iraheta and MacArthur "Genius" Fellow John Dabiri, director of Caltech's Biological Propulsion Laboratory.
Gates open at 5:30 pm for dinner (ordered in advance) or bring-your-own picnics, with table and bleacher seating and plentiful free parking.
"This is 'movie music night' the MUSE/IQUE way," says Worby, who founded MUSE/IQUE in 2011. "We wanted to turn the 'orchestra goes to the movies' genre of outdoor summer fare on its head to foster new thinking about what our eyes and ears tell us. From suspense thrillers and Korngold's Concerto in C to Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, it's one of MUSE/IQUE's most ambitious curatorial adventures to date."
The 90-minute concert is built on the visceral sounds of the cello as awakened by virtuoso Matt Haimovitz and the classic 1946 film noir Deception, starring
Bette Davis and
Claude Rains, about a war-torn love affair between a cellist and pianist from which Haimovitz performs
Erich Korngold's brilliant work for cello, Concerto in C, the film's musical cornerstone. Sleepwalking, Golub's new work MUSE/IQUE is premiering, was inspired, he says, by "the idea of sleepwalking as both an image and as a state of mind." Malick narrates
Benjamin Britten's
The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, loved anew thanks to its prominence in Moonrise Kingdom, delivering writer/producer/director Nix's new libretto, and Worby turns
Claude-Michel Schönberg's show-stopping Bring Him Home for tenor from Les Miserables into a showcase for the soaring talents of
Allison Iraheta, whose voice Idol judge
Kara DioGuardi exhorted "comes from God...you can't teach that!" Also performed are selections from other film scores, ranging from the iconic to the lesser known, including Chariots of Fire by Vangelis;
Elmer Bernstein's Summer and Smoke;
Jerry Goldsmith's Russia House; Love Theme from "Heidi" by
John Williams; Gabriel's Oboe by Ennio Morricone, the theme for the 1986 film The Mission; and
Chris Young's Killing Season; and whimsically thought-provoking remarks by Caltech's Dabiri, a signature MUSE/IQUE performance element, top off the evening.
MUSE/IQUE's "Summer of Sound" concludes August 17 with "Lose Your Senses with Ellis Hall," which brings together celebrated vocalist/pianist virtuoso Ellis Hall, former Tower of Power lead singer, with the MUSE/IQUE orchestra, the Selah Gospel Choir, and scientist Seal Carroll, to unchain the soul sounds of
Ray Charles,
Marvin Gaye,
Stevie Wonder, Beethoven, Vivaldi and Bach.
MUSE/IQUE, known for its inspired, unexpected live music events, connects master artists with new voices across a limitless range of styles. Its counter-conventional performances, which feel more like parties than formal concerts, link musicians with great thinkers and compelling visual, cinematic and dance artists. In the two years since MUSE/IQUE was founded by Artistic Director Rachael Worby, it has grown from one performance with a handful of devoted followers to a major cultural presence that reaches vast audiences. Its considerable membership currently numbers more than 500 people. In the fall and spring, MUSE/IQUE presents "Uncorked" evenings at unconventional locations, and in the summer MUSE/IQUE features three outdoor "music parties" at Caltech's Beckman Mall, all curated by the innovative and visionary Worby. Among MUSE/IQUE's guest artists are
Jessye Norman, Charlie Haden,
Patti Austin,
Mary Wilson, Flea, Rickie Lee Jones, Ellis Hall, Matt Haimovitz,
Angela Bassett,
Arturo Sandoval and more. Uncorked's "pop-up" venues have included Pasadena's
Phoenix Decorating Center (where Rose Parade floats are constructed), Art Center College of Design Sculpture Garden, Castle Press (one of the nation's largest printing presses), backstage at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and others. KIDS/IQUE!, a primary element of the organization, serves boys and girls, ages 12 to 18, in the San Gabriel Valley's network of foster care services by presenting ongoing interactive experiences with professional musicians and other artists designed to compliment the service goals of the foster care facilities even as they allow MUSE/IQUE to reach otherwise underserved youth. Other outreach programs include free and low-cost tickets for students and community groups, and "Free For All," a free annual concert featuring a fusion of music with family friendly surprises.
Caltech's Beckman Mall is located at 332 S. Michigan Ave. Pasadena CA 91106. Plentiful parking is free. To reserve a catered dinner that can be picked up on site, please contact Perfect Equation Catering at (626) 529-5585. Concert tickets begin at $10 per person with top tier seating, $96 per person, available to MUSE/IQUE members at the $1,000+ contribution level; students with ID are $10. MUSE/IQUE membership, which ranges from $250 to $2,500, includes a variety of special benefits including priority seating and services. For tickets and membership information, call 626-539-7085 or visit
www.muse-ique.com.
Allison Iraheta, originally from South Central Los Angeles, is probably most recognized for having three hit singles, touring with
Adam Lambert and being a top finalist and fan favorite on the eighth season of "American Idol." What most people don't know is that Iraheta began singing professionally at the age of five, performing Ranchera music at local community events and store openings. She was soon performing across the Southland, which led to numerous television appearances, including "The Jenny Jones Show," "Sabado Gigante" and "America's Most Talented Kids." At age 14, Iraheta auditioned for and won the Telemundo Television competition "Quinceañera." In 2009, she auditioned for the eighth season of "American Idol" and was put through to the semifinals, where she finished in fourth place and subsequently appeared on such television shows as "Live with Regis and Kelly," "The
Ellen Degeneres Show" and "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien." She released her debut album, "Just Like You" on December 1, 2009, when she was just 17 years old. In 2013, Iraheta decided to veer away from her major label pop sound and formed a new band, Halo Circus, whose first single is slated for release in the fall of 2013. In May, Iraheta performed for MUSE/IQUE's "KIDS/IQUE" program, which serves boys and girls, ages 12 to 18, in the San Gabriel Valley's network of foster care services.
Renowned as a musical pioneer, cellist MATT HAIMOVITZ has inspired classical music lovers and countless new listeners by bringing his artistry to concert halls and clubs, outdoor festivals and intimate coffee houses, any place where passionate music can be heard. He brings a fresh ear to familiar repertoire, champions new music and initiates groundbreaking collaborations as well as creating innovative recording projects for Oxingale Records. He has a tireless touring schedule as well all while mentoring an award-winning studio of young cellists at McGill University's Schulich School of Music in Montreal. Haimovitz, born in Isreal, made his debut in 1984, at the age of 13, as soloist with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic. At 17 he made his first recording with
James Levine and the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Haimovitz has since gone on to perform on the world's most esteemed stages, with such orchestras and conductors as the Berlin Philharmonic with Levine, the
New York Philharmonic with Mehta, the English Chamber Orchestra with
Daniel Barenboim, the
Boston Symphony Orchestra with
Leonard Slatkin and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra with
Kent Nagano. In 2000, he made waves with his Bach "Listening-Room" Tour, for which, to great acclaim, Haimovitz took Bach's beloved cello suites out of the concert hall and into clubs across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Haimovitz's 50-state
Anthem tour in 2003 celebrated living American composers, and featured his own arrangement of
Jimi Hendrix's "Star-Spangled Banner." Haimovitz's recording career encompasses more than 20 years of award-winning work on Deutche Grammophon and his own Oxingale Records, the trailblazing independent label he founded with composer/producer L
Una Pearl Woolf. Its latest release, Meeting of the Spirits, was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Classical Crossover Album and won a GRAMMY for Best Producer of the Year (Classical). Haimovitz received the Concert Music Award from ASCAP for his advocacy of living composers and pioneering spirit, and in 2004, the American Music Center awarded Haimovitz the Trailblazer Award for his far-reaching contributions to American music.
For seven seasons on "Just Shoot Me," actress
Wendie Malick starred as Nina
Van Horn, the outrageous ex-model and fashion editor, for which she earned one Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations before joining the cast of "Frasier" as Ronnie Lawrence for the TV show's final season. Currently, Malick plays a five-time divorced former soap opera star in TVLand's hit sitcom, "Hot in Cleveland," alongside
Valerie Bertinelli,
Jane Leeves and
Betty White. Other television credits include "Big Day," "Good Company" and HBO's groundbreaking comedy "Dream On" and guest appearances on "CSI," "The X-Files," "LA Law," "NYPD Blue," "Seinfeld," "Cybil" and "Law And Order," to name a few. She has starred in such television movies as "Take My Advice," playing both Ann Landers and Abby Van Buren; "Hello Sister, Goodbye Life"; "Will You Merry Me?"; "Apollo11"; "Dynasty: The Miniseries"; and "North Shore Fish," in a role she originated on stage. Malick's feature film credits include "Adventureland," "Confessions Of A Shopaholic," "Racing Stripes," "The Emperor's New Groove" and "Bugsy," to name a few. Malick is featured in the upcoming films "The Goods," "Alvin and the Chipmunks: (The Squeakqual)," "Fifty-Nothing" and "I Was a 7th Grade Dragon Slayer." On stage, Malick has appeared Off
Broadway in "North Shore Fish," and "Burleigh Grimes" and in Los Angeles in Victor Bumbalo's "Questa,"
Oliver Hailey's "Round Trip," "Vagina Monologues," "Santaland Diaries," and Steve
Martin's "The Underpants." In 2000, she was honored by Women in Film as "A Woman of Vision," along with
Tipper Gore. Malick is on the Board of Directors of both The Environmental Media Association and The Creative Coalition, which lobbies for the Arts, and is also on the Board of Advocates for Planned Parenthood, which honored her in 2006 as a "Champion of Choice," and the Advisory Board of The Humane Society. Through their charitable gift fund, "A Drop in the Bucket," Malick and her husband,
Richard Erickson support a medical center in the Congo.
RACHAEL WORBY, hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "inspiring and accessible," is that rare conductor who is a skilled communicator with wide-ranging repertoire. Distinguished as a visionary in the orchestral world, she is celebrated internationally for her extraordinary talents and exuberant style, as well as her versatile command of all musical genres - symphonic, operatic, pops, classics, and 21st century. A dedicated orchestra builder, she is credited with the remarkable growth of organizations under her leadership and is considered an unforgettable, inspiring and charismatic presence on the podium. Worby's dynamic energy, coupled with the highly successful results she has achieved with diverse organizations, has served to create a demand for her skills on the international level. As a guest conductor, she has led orchestras throughout Europe, South America, Australia and Asia. In March 2011, Worby founded MUSE/IQUE to bring fresh perspective to live music and multidisciplinary arts. During her tenure as Music Director of the Pasadena Pops Orchestra (2000-2010), Worby expanded the orchestra's performance season, as well as its national and local profiles. A hallmark of Worby's career has been activist belief that education and community engagement work is inseparable from and essential to main season offerings. In addition to appearing in grand concert halls, Worby has led some of the world's best musicians at locations ranging from the co
Al Fields of West Virginia to community centers in Harlem and South Central Los Angeles. In 2006, at the invitation of acclaimed American soprano,
Jessye Norman, Worby conducted both the China Philharmonic Orchestra in Beijing and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, accompanying Norman in her first appearances in mainland China. They continue to appear together at music festivals and concert halls throughout the world. Other guest conducting positions have included the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra,
Barcelona Opera Orchestra,
Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra, Halle Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Israel Chamber Orchestra, Israel Opera Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, National Romanian Opera Orchestra,
National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, New York City Ballet, Norddeutscher Rundfunk-Hannover, Orquesta Sinfonica de Medellin, Québec Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra,
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz and Transylvania Philharmonic. Worby first rose to prominence during her 17-year tenure as music director and conductor of the Symphony Orchestra in Wheeling, West Virginia. She also served as music director and conductor of the Young Peoples' Concerts at
Carnegie Hall and as assistant conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Worby served on the Honorary Committee of
Carnegie Hall's HONOR! Festival, for which she served as artistic advisor for numerous events and as guest panelist. She has been honored with numerous awards, including the Spirit of Achievement from Albert Einstein College and the Women of Excellence award from the YWCA, the degree Doctor of Humanities, honorus causa from Marshall University, the degree of Doctor of Letters, honorus causa from Claremont University and the Presidential Medal of Honor for her consummate lifetime achievements from Claremont University. Worby received a four-year Presidential appointment to the National Council of the Arts. In 1990 she was nominated for an ACE Award for two programs she created, narrated and conducted for the Disney Channel. In addition, as First Lady of West Virginia (1990-1997), Worby created and hosted the nationally-acclaimed Arts and Letters Series broadcast on public television, which presented Carl Sagan, Tom Wicker,
Jesse Jackson,
Andrew Young, Bob Woodward, Taylor Branch,
Harry Belafonte and dozens of other luminaries. She also led a ground-breaking statewide campaign, "Thanks A Million," to raise one million dollars to eradicate illiteracy, and is responsible for the creation, in perpetuity, of The Governor's School for the Arts.
MUSE/IQUE's "Moving Pictures"
Rachael Worby, conductor/currator
Matt Haimovitz, cello
Allison Iraheta, vocalist
Wendie Malick, spoken word
John Dabiri, spoken word
MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
PROGRAM:
VANGELIS Chariots of Fire
Erich Korngold Concerto in C (from the film Deception)
John Williams Love Theme from "Heidi"
ENNIO MORRICONE Gabriel's Oboe (from the film The Mission)
Peter Golub Sleepwalking (World Premiere)
Claude-Michel Schönberg Bring Him Home (from the film Les Miserables)
Elmer Bernstein Summer and Smoke (from the film Summer and Smoke)
Jerry GoldSMITH Russia House (from the film Russia House)
Christopher Young Killing Season (from the film Killing Season)
Benjamin Britten Young Person's Guide (new libretto by Matt Nix)
Caltech's Beckman Mall is located at 332 S. Michigan Avenue in Pasadena, Calif. Concert Tickets: begin at $10 per person; top tier seating, $96, is available only to members at the $1,000+ level Students with ID: $10 (MUSE/IQUE membership, from $250 - $2,500, includes special benefits including priority seating and services). For tickets and information, call 626-539-7085 or visit
www.muse-ique.org.
Pictured: Matt Haimovitz. Photo Credit: Stephanie McKinnon.
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